Official keto thread

[DAVIDHARDY]

i need some help guys. i'm on day 8 of my first keto run and energy levels are at an all time low. i don't want to give up at all, but i have NO energy and have tried supplementing with caffeine and green tea extract, which helps a little bit, but still not much energy.

today i slept through my alarm and woke up 3 hours later than normal feeling like i just got out of hibernation. luckily i don't work wednesdays, but i can't do that again. i'm usually up at 6:30 am to feed dogs and take them for walk, but it's gradually getting harder to get up then.

i've read that energy levels should level back out to normal after about 2 weeks, so i'm almost there and am just going to hold out for them to come back. any advice would be much appreciated.
i'm 5'10 started at 192 at 19%, now 185- % unknown

What kind of lifestyle do you have? Is your job pretty labor intensive? Are you pretty active throughout the day? If so, then you will experience lethargy on a keto diet. If you have an active lifestyle, then keto might not be for you.

[BoyGeorge]

How much caffeine are you using, when are you taking it, and how much undisturbed sleep are you getting?

i'm taking in about 400mg in my coffee in the morning and about another 400mg in the afternoon after lunch from green tea.

[BoyGeorge]

I recommend caffeine for people who are not naturally "hyperactive" but if you are, caffeine will zap your energy levels, I haven't touched caffeine in a while, but if I take a 200mg caffeine pill right before bed, I can sleep no problem.

How's your fat intake? this is the number 1 problem, people think low carb diets are low fat diets too, this is BS, while cases of rabbit starvation are rare these days, if you eat nothing but lean protein for a long time (depending on BF% and other factors) you'll develop it. Tiredness, weakness, diareaha, hunger, etc... are the symptoms.

Fat needs to stay at a level where you feel good and energized since insulin will be low and noradrenaline and other stimulant hormones will be elevated during ketosis.

Stay away from refeeds/cheat meals for the time being, cut your carbs lower if you can(how many gs per day now?) and up your fat a bit.

i'm not a very hyperactive person and caffeine usually wakes me up pretty well in the morning.
i'm following dave's keto diet for 200 lb man to the t so i think my fats are adequate. after the third day i started taking 2400mg of fish oil, another 2.5 g fat, with every whole food meal just to be sure i was getting enough

[BoyGeorge]

I have experienced that also... Assuming you are getting enough rest and are eating your fats and things are in order...
this is what I do...
I do Caffeine, swanson brand thermogenic or Hyperdrive in the morning before fasted cardio along with some B vitamins and I'm totally energized.
I found a cheap thermogenic on swanson.com that seems to work actually better than anything else I've tried for energy and it is a fraction of the price. You can take just one or two if you are really tired.
B vitamins are also awesome. No crashing. I have some that dissolve or I do a "energy shot" - sugar free carb free. I get them at the 99 cents store.

thanks, i will definitely try that

[BoyGeorge]

What kind of lifestyle do you have? Is your job pretty labor intensive? Are you pretty active throughout the day? If so, then you will experience lethargy on a keto diet. If you have an active lifestyle, then keto might not be for you.

i'm a full time student and also work so i'm on the go a lot. some days are more labor intensive than others, but not all the time. i would say i'm moderately active throughout the day, i don't sit on my ass ALL day, but i'm not running marathons either.

you could be right, keto might not be for me. i'm carb sensitive and thought this might be a good diet for me to try.
would you recommend something else?

[DAVIDHARDY]

If you keep feeling like shit for another couple of weeks and you are doing everything "correct", then I'd switch it up to a more balanced diet. As long as you are eating correctly and your calories are low enough, then you will lose weight. If and when you do switch to carbs, be sure to have only clean carbs just like you have mostly good fats on this diet.

For me, this way of eating is perfect. I have a pretty much sedentary lifestyle and I feel great after a few days of starting it. I also feel good if I eat high carbs, but then I get really fat lol.

[nicoledominique]

Hey all - brand new to this forum and I love it so far. All serious people here and very inspiring! I'm not planning on competing (as of yet) but I've been lifting for a few years now, with some decent mass, and just looking to take myself to the next level. I've never really been very lean, so I am pretty excited!

I just started Dave's keto diet on May 16th (this past Sunday) and it's my first time trying keto. So far so good, just some fatigue and headaches...

My dilemma - It's my birthday this coming Saturday (May 22). I am going to cheat (obviously). My question is - will it be too early into my diet for the cheat to actually be beneficial? And also, do you think I should do the 2 week, no cheating after this weekend - just to ensure I get myself into deep ketosis before cheating again?

I feel like maybe I should have waited until after my b'day to start the diet, but I couldn't help myself!

Thoughts?

[Wetdawg]

Eat what you want, then restart the diet the day after or just eat a small piece of cake.

[•P®øD¶G¥•]

Hey all - brand new to this forum and I love it so far. All serious people here and very inspiring! I'm not planning on competing (as of yet) but I've been lifting for a few years now, with some decent mass, and just looking to take myself to the next level. I've never really been very lean, so I am pretty excited!

I just started Dave's keto diet on May 16th (this past Sunday) and it's my first time trying keto. So far so good, just some fatigue and headaches...

My dilemma - It's my birthday this coming Saturday (May 22). I am going to cheat (obviously). My question is - will it be too early into my diet for the cheat to actually be beneficial? And also, do you think I should do the 2 week, no cheating after this weekend - just to ensure I get myself into deep ketosis before cheating again?

I feel like maybe I should have waited until after my b'day to start the diet, but I couldn't help myself!

Thoughts?

Who knows? Depends on training, bf%, activity level, thyroid levels, etc...

You could:

1- Eat lean protein and EFAs for all your meals then cheat

2- Eat your normal diet then cheat

If you don't feel "diet weak": Irritable, colder than usual, hungry all the time, etc... I would go with option 1, if yes, then it would be a good chance to up your calories.

A better option than the 2 weeks till cheat meal then 1 week IMO is to track your measurments (waist, arms, thighs, etc...), weight, bf% (calipers or the Omron body fat analyzer is 1-3% off) weekly.

Then, if you're losing body fat, strength on lifts is the same, sex drive is the same , then no need for a carb up, if no fat is lost for a week or 2( depending on how much you have to lose, your calorie deficit, etc....) do a cheat meal or a refeed if you're leaner.

[Justice]

Hey all - brand new to this forum and I love it so far. All serious people here and very inspiring! I'm not planning on competing (as of yet) but I've been lifting for a few years now, with some decent mass, and just looking to take myself to the next level. I've never really been very lean, so I am pretty excited!

I just started Dave's keto diet on May 16th (this past Sunday) and it's my first time trying keto. So far so good, just some fatigue and headaches...

My dilemma - It's my birthday this coming Saturday (May 22). I am going to cheat (obviously). My question is - will it be too early into my diet for the cheat to actually be beneficial? And also, do you think I should do the 2 week, no cheating after this weekend - just to ensure I get myself into deep ketosis before cheating again?

I feel like maybe I should have waited until after my b'day to start the diet, but I couldn't help myself!

Thoughts?

Happy Birthday...Stay on your diet until Saturday...enjoy your cheat and then start your 2 weeks

[nicoledominique]

Eat what you want, then restart the diet the day after or just eat a small piece of cake.

Darn! I was hoping to be told that it's okay to start cheating from week 1 (wishful thinking)!

Who knows? Depends on training, bf%, activity level, thyroid levels, etc...
You could:

1- Eat lean protein and EFAs for all your meals then cheat

2- Eat your normal diet then cheat

If you don't feel "diet weak": Irritable, colder than usual, hungry all the time, etc... I would go with option 1, if yes, then it would be a good chance to up your calories.
A better option than the 2 weeks till cheat meal then 1 week IMO is to track your measurments (waist, arms, thighs, etc...), weight, bf% (calipers or the Omron body fat analyzer is 1-3% off) weekly.

Then, if you're losing body fat, strength on lifts is the same, sex drive is the same , then no need for a carb up, if no fat is lost for a week or 2( depending on how much you have to lose, your calorie deficit, etc....) do a cheat meal or a refeed if you're leaner.

Thanks for your detailed answer!

Happy Birthday...Stay on your diet until Saturday...enjoy your cheat and then start your 2 weeks

I knew deep down this is what I should do! Thanks!

Today is my 5th day on the diet, and I FINALLY feel that I've reached ketosis - no headache, more energy, and happier. I am a little moody (I think it has more to do with my workplace than the diet though!) I will cheat my little heart out on Saturday and then hop back on the wagon for 2 weeks of no cheating. Ugh!

[gottabecool]

i'm taking in about 400mg in my coffee in the morning and about another 400mg in the afternoon after lunch from green tea.

You sure about those numbers???

That is ALOT of Coffee and tea. how much water are you drinking throughout the day?

Have you tried no doz?

And again....how much undisturbed sleep are you getting?

[Justice]

Darn! I was hoping to be told that it's okay to start cheating from week 1 (wishful thinking)!

Thanks for your detailed answer!

I knew deep down this is what I should do! Thanks!

Today is my 5th day on the diet, and I FINALLY feel that I've reached ketosis - no headache, more energy, and happier. I am a little moody (I think it has more to do with my workplace than the diet though!) I will cheat my little heart out on Saturday and then hop back on the wagon for 2 weeks of no cheating. Ugh!

For most people it will take 3-7 days to reach ketosis. As you have said you will feel it and know it...do not waste your time checking with keto stix

[nicoledominique]

For most people it will take 3-7 days to reach ketosis. As you have said you will feel it and know it...do not waste your time checking with keto stix

Yeah, don't worry - I wouldn't use those - I know that if I follow the diet exactly as it is laid out, I will reach ketosis. I also know not to over-think things too much. Thanks again!

[•P®øD¶G¥•]

Anyone who is doing Keto right now to lose fat, what is your weights/cardio schedule?